Applicants are being asked to take personality tests to land a role—an expert says this is what 99% are looking for

Prospective workers describe being given online personality assessments during their job interview rounds, and how uneasy it can make them feel. The tests can range from questionnaires that are based on peer-reviewed research, to sleek-looking assessments without much psychological backing. ‘Passing’ the test—or hitting the personality traits the hiring manager is looking for—can be very ambiguous. It’s given some job-seekers pause. 

“I’ve gotten some really weird questions,” Nick Malik, a job-hunter who has received several personality tests while applying to senior-level engineering roles, told The Wall Street Journal. “I understand the desire to know a little bit about your applicants, but I don’t think running their answers by a bot is very effective.”

Candidates have reason to be skeptical of the assessments. But Ryne Sherman, chief science officer at performance personality testing company Hogan Assessments, told Fortune that the tests can help a hiring manager get the bigger picture of an applicant. He said that resumes can show how good a person’s technical skills are, and interviews provide better insight into how someone answers questions on the spot. But it’s harder to pick up on more abstract qualities—that’s where these tests come in.

“Are they going to be easy to get along with? Are they going to work hard? Can they pick up on new skills quickly?” Sherman said. “Those are the kinds of things you can pick up with a personality test that you don’t really see on a resume.”

Why are personality tests trending in the hiring process?

Personality tests aren’t some new-age obscure tool that hiring managers are forcing upon applicants. 

Sherman said that personality assessments have long been commonplace in corporate America; his company has been handing out these tests since the late 1980’s. But they really came into popularity after the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the founding of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Sherman said at that time, employers were using cognitive IQ tests which showed group differences and discriminated by race. Personality tests leveled the playing field in assessing workers—there are no character differences between identities. 

Personality tests are currently trending again as bosses double down on quality over quantity when it comes to talent. Many employers are strategizing in the name of efficiency——Meta and Microsoft have both recently culled employees based on performance. “At Microsoft we focus on high-performance talent,” the company said. Meanwhile, Ford is tightening the purse strings on bonuses in the name of “driving a high-performance culture“.

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“Personality tests are pretty common in hiring,” Sherman said, adding that bosses are operating under the mindset: “Every little extra edge I can get, if I can get a bit more extra information, and apply that to my entire workforce, that can have a huge impact on the overall productivity.”

The bigger picture could spell huge upsides for employers if done right, Sherman added. And if candidates have a few key traits, they have a better shot at landing the job.

The star qualities hiring managers are looking out for

Hogan Assessments said that by analyzing many of these statements, hiring managers can get a rough idea of their personality. But there are some surefire traits many bosses look out for when deciding on a new hire.

“Conscientiousness, rule-following, being disciplined, showing up on time, dependability—all those kinds of things 99% of the time are going to make you look good. If you’re low on that, that’s probably going to hurt you,” Sherman said. So, for those Gen Z job seekers who think that 10 minutes late is as good as on time, take note—it may be why you’re not hearing back from hiring managers.

Beyond those attributes, many winning characteristics are dependent on the role. Unfortunately, there is no one specific trait that will guarantee any gig. But customer service representatives, for example, may need skills like strong communication or an extroverted attitude. Meanwhile, computer programmers, who do more head-down work, don’t need to check those boxes. Coders may be better off emulating certain qualities like attention to detail and problem-solving. 

“Most organizations have an organizational culture, so there’s certain behaviors and attitudes that they’re looking for to work in that organization,” Sherman said. “But even more narrowly, every job has a job description where they tend to identify critical competencies or the kinds of behaviors that would make someone an excellent performer at a job.”

Sherman said there’s no way to “trick” the personality assessments, and that a candidate would be most successful answering honestly. Attempting to game the test would likely end in job disappointment. 

“Just like in a job interview, most people are trying to make the best impression. The reality is that for most jobs, if you’re not a good fit for it, you’ll find that even if you match the profile of the job through some nefarious means, you’re probably not going to like it,” he concluded. “I tell people to put their best version of themselves forward when they’re taking the test.”